Awareness and practice of the principles of circular economy among built environment professionals

Abstract

PurposeThis study examines the level of awareness and practice of the principles of circular economy (CE) among built environment (BE) professionals in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachA structured questionnaire survey was used to solicit the views of 162 BE professionals working in construction, consulting and developer firms on the issue under investigation. Data were analysed through descriptive and inferential analysis.FindingsThe findings revealed that the BE professionals possessed moderate awareness of the six CE principles (i.e. repair, recycle, reuse, renewable energy usage, reduce and redesign) examined. The findings further revealed that only two out of the six principles (i.e. repair and reuse) received some moderate level of practice among the professionals.Practical implicationsPractically, the findings would be relevant to government, policymakers, researchers and other construction professionals. For the government and policymakers, these findings would inform them on the laws and policies to enact to increase awareness and practice of CE principles. For researchers, these findings will assist in exploring gaps for further studies. For the construction professionals, the findings would inform them of the need to step up measures to practice the various principles of CE in their firms adequately.Originality/valueThis study provides insights into an under-investigated topic in the construction industry worldwide. It offers new and additional insights into the current state-of-the-art practice of CE principles among BE professionals.